"It’s not an English lesson. It’s a communication session”
- Altti Korpela, Nokian Tyres HR Manager
Language training typically occurs where the action does not; that is to say, in the classroom. This is not meant as a slander, as the classroom is often the ideal, neutral place needed for effective training. Much like swimming, however, those at a certain proficiency level inevitably want to head to the deeper end of the pool to put their skills to the test.
For us at TekMiL, that means identifying and developing training solutions that increasingly move our learners from the safety of the classroom to the “dangers” of the open sea. Analogies aside, the challenge for us is to progress with our students to a stage where the training world blends with the real world. Where there is less of a lesson and more real life. Real life with backup.
A significant step in this direction was made this year at the premises of one of our long-term partners, Nokian Tyres. Nokian Tyres and TekMiL have enjoyed a successful partnership in the classroom spanning five years and including a multitude of different languages and training focuses. This year Nokian Tyres asked us to support a monthly video-conference language lesson linking Human Resources personnel from the Home Office in Nokia with their colleagues at the Vsevolozhsk factory just outside of St. Petersburg, Russia.
The following is a short interview with some of the participants of this course:
Editor: Firstly, I would like to thank Cristina, Natalia, and Altti for agreeing to sit down with me today. Could you please tell us a little about yourselves?
Cristina Guillermo: I’m Cristina and have been working here as an HR Management Assistant for five years now. Lately I have been involved in various HR Development projects and have, of course, been coordinating these video-conference sessions with our colleagues at the Nokian Tyres Vsevolozhsk factory.
Ed: And how often do you have to use English here at work?
CG: About once a week, mostly dealing with colleagues outside Finland. Most contact is by email, but there are occasional phone calls in English as well.
Natalia Stepanova: My name is Natalia and I have been working for Nokian Tyres for two years as an Employee Relations Manager. My work here has been very interesting and diverse. I am responsible for personnel budgeting, company policies, keeping the company in line with the labor market…actually too many different things to list here!
Ed: Altti, same questions for you.
Altti Korpela: I am an HR Manager here at Nokian Tyres; my main focuses are recruiting and rewarding, as well as participating in labor negotiations, and issues involving labor law. I have been working here for about 17 years now. I have been participating in English lessons for the last six years, because I find myself working more and more intensively with our colleagues from Russia and other locations. There was about a 20 year gap between learning English in High School and having to use business English here at work.
Ed: And why did you decide to take English lessons here at work?
NS: For me it was mostly the need to communicate with my Finnish colleagues. Of course, it also helps with traveling!
CG: Well, it’s important to have these skills and Nokian Tyres makes it possible to improve them. English is now the most common language in communications with our foreign colleagues.
AK: When I started we weren’t a global company other than exporting our products. Over the years we have become a global company and I decided that I want to be a part of this change. English has become Nokian Tyres’ official business language and I want to have my turn to speak. I want to be able to speak, write, and interact with my colleagues without having to stop and think about the language.
Ed: Up until now your English lessons have primarily been classroom based. What were your hopes for this video-conference course?
CG: There were a few reasons. I wanted to have more contact with my HR colleagues in Russia. I want to learn about their culture and their way of doing business. It’s also good to establish a kind of common vocabulary with them, to use HR terms the same way.
NS: For similar reasons, actually. My goals for these meetings were to become closer with my colleagues in Finland and to develop a better understanding for each other. It is also good to have a chance to discuss actual problems.
AK: My idea was that I have trained for so many years and now I want to actually use my English. I wanted to have to a real situation. It’s not an English lesson. It’s a communication session. Our colleagues use different words, their pronunciation and accents are different. This trains us for real life without having a negative effect on business.
Ed: Altti, you mentioned different accents, which I know can sometimes make things difficult. What other challenges have there been?
AK: At first it is awkward watching each other on the big screen. It also makes you a bit nervous to see yourself.
CG: I agree with Altti. It can also be tough if there are technical problems.
NS: It’s hard to say. Maybe that we can’t see each other “live.” We don’t have real eye contact with each other.
AK: And if you don’t know the right word, the microphones and camera are sitting there waiting. Also, we haven’t had technical training on the equipment so there can
be two issues at once. For me the cultural differences haven’t been so big. We aren’t as formal as other western European countries, so it makes things a bit easier. This training has even helped everyday communicating in Finnish; at a party or graduation, you are better trained to talk about nothing. [Ed. note: every English native speaker forces his/her group to practice small talk, or as Altti puts it, “talking about nothing.”]
Ed: Thank you for the “compliment,” Altti. What are some of the other benefits?
CG: For me, contact with our HR colleagues is the best practice. We get to know each other better and gain more informal, “normal” connection with them. It makes it easier to have email and telephone contact. You know them better.
AK: Yes, it is easier to call when you know them better and the different terms and accents they use. It’s the same as here…I don’t think about what I am going to say, we just talk. The conversations are more spontaneous and natural.
NS: And for me the main benefit has been having the ability to discuss actual questions concerning work, for example with Altti.
Ed: Before we wrap up, is there anything that I have missed or you would like to add?
AK: In all, the training is nice and interesting, but it is demanding. The first sessions weren’t as smooth because we didn’t follow a strict agenda and there were some technical issues. Getting to know each other was a bit tough, and there were different language levels. We also had to learn about how occupations and positions are seen differently outside Finland and to avoid questions that could be misunderstood.
NS: Yes, the lessons have gone well. I like the trainer-group mix.
CG: In total, I like being here and am looking forward to having more sessions. It really has helped create a more informal relationship with our colleagues. It is also useful to use the same vocabulary as we can understand each other better.
Ed: Thank you all for your time!